• Corpus ID: 16308954

Quantum Inequality Restrictions on Negative Energy Densities in Curved Spacetimes

@article{Pfenning1998QuantumIR,
  title={Quantum Inequality Restrictions on Negative Energy Densities in Curved Spacetimes},
  author={Michael John Pfenning and L H Ford},
  journal={arXiv: General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology},
  year={1998}
}

• M. Pfenning, L. Ford
• Published 11 May 1998
• Physics
• arXiv: General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology

In quantum field theory, there exist states in which the expectation value of the energy density for a quantized field is negative. These negative energy densities lead to several problems such as the failure of the classical energy conditions, the production of closed timelike curves and faster than light travel, violations of the second law of thermodynamics, and the possible production of naked singularities. Although quantum field theory introduces negative energies, it also provides constraints in the form of quantum inequalities (QI’s). These uncertainty principle-type relations limit the magnitude and duration of any negative energy. We derive a general form of the QI on the energy density for both the quantized scalar and electromagnetic fields in static curved spacetimes. In the case of the scalar field, the QI can be written as the Euclidean wave operator acting on the Euclidean Green’s function. Additionally, a small distance expansion on the Green’s function is used to derive the QI in the short sampling time limit. It is found that the QI in this limit reduces to the flat space form with subdominant correction terms which depend on the spacetime geometry. Several example spacetimes are studied in which exact forms of the QI’s can be found. These include the three- and four-dimensional static Robertson-Walker spacetimes, flat space with perfectly reflecting mirrors, Rindler and static de Sitter space, and the spacetime outside a black hole. In all of the above cases, we find that the quantum inequalities give a lower limit on how much negative energy may be observed relative to the vacuum energy density of the spacetime. For the particular case of the black hole, it is found that the quantum inequality on the energy density is measured relative to the Boulware vacuum. Finally, the application of the quantum inequalities to the Alcubierre warp drive spacetime leads to strict constraints on the thickness of the negative energy region needed to maintain the warp drive. Under these constraints, we discover that the total negative energy required exceeds the total mass of the visible universe by a hundred billion times, making warp drive an impractical form of transportation.